Conveying apparatus



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Air.cowriisir, OE LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS,AssIeNOR.To THE LAMsON CONSOLIDATED sToRE sERvIcE COMPANY, OE NEWARK,

lNEw JERSEY.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATINforming part of Letters Patent No. 608,581, datedAugust 9,1898. Application filed February 1v, 189s. seria No. 670,623. (No maar T0 all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known'that I, J AMES T. COWLEY, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveying Ap.- paratus, of vwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cable carriers, and is in the nature of animprovement upon'fthe apparatus shown, described, and `claimed in an application filed by me on August 20, l1896Serial No. 603,332.

The object of my'rinvention is to provide means at each'station forremoving the last carrier arriving at the station without removing the other carriers that may be in said station, and, further, to gradually check the momentum of the carrier as'ittravels along the branch track into the station. s

My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter de'scribed,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a construction for embodying my invention, Figure l is a side view inperspective and illustrating my improvement as applied to cable carrier apparatus of the usual construction. Fig. 2 isa cross-sectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. :71looking in the direction indicated by thearrow. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 3 3, Fig. l, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Figs. 4 and '5 represent,respectively, plan and end views of a carrier. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the track-section forI receiving the carriers switched at the stations to which they belong and showing a carrier entering said track-section. Fig; 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 except that the carrier is shown at the other end of the track-section.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, in which there is illustrated a station on the line of a cable carrier apparatus of the construction shown in the above-,mentioned application, A'represents a branchtra'ck fromthe'u'su'al main returntrack andis'composed of two opposite rails A. This branch track A is supported by the brace B both at its upper and its lower ends, and a suitable brace A2 holds said rails in their relative positions. Located ,in aline-ment withI the lower end of the branch track A is a track-section @composed of the two Opposite rails C and supported at the end which is in alinement with said branch "track by the bracket O2, which is secured to both of said rails C'. In the Opposite sides of said bracket C2 are located slots C3, into which project the pins C4, mounted on the lower portion of the brace B, and by means of said pins and slots the track-section lis guided in its vertical movements. From the rear side of said bracket C2 there projects rearwardly the pin G5, and under said pin C5 and over the two pins C4 is a spring C6, which is adapted normally to hold in its upper position the bracket C2, with theV rails Cof the track-section C in alinement with the rails A of the branch track A, so that a carrier switched on the said branch track will pass onto the rails C'. The opposite ends of these Vrails are carried by opposite arms D', which are mounted on the pin D2, having a bearing in the lugs D3 on the lower portion of the brace D. On each arm D there is a lug D4, to which the opposite ends of the springs D5 are connected, so that normally said spring holds the upper ends of said arms inncontact, as shown in Fig. 2. By thiswarrangement the distance between the opposite rails C' gradually reduces from the'brace B to the brace D, so that the friction between the friction-rollers G3 and the rails C increases as the carrier travels toward thel brace D, and consequently the momentumv of the carrier is checked and thecarrier is gradually stopped as the rails C gradually separate against the tension of the spring D5, as illustrated inFi gs. 5 and 6. i y y f The carrier E, which is similar to that shown, described, and claimed in Letters Patent issued to the Lamson Consolidated Store Service Company,of Newark, New Jersey, as my assignee, numbered 574,715, anddated January 5, 1897, is provided with a coverE, held in aclosed position bya suitable springcatch, which is adapted to be operated by e ee8,5s1

the push-button to release the cover E, and the spring E3 will throw the cover E up and open the interior of the carrier.

E* represents suitable pins on the carriers, by which the carriers are switched to their respective stations. rlhese pins E" are placed in diiferent positions on the carriers to correspond with switch-guides at diiferent stations along the line, so that the carriers may be switched at the stations to which they belong.

The lever F is provided with a pin F', on which the gripping-jaws F2 are pivotally mounted, and said lever is journaled in suitable lugs F"y on the rear side of the carrier. These jaws F2 are each provided with a camslot F4, working on the pin F3, secured to the carrier, and of such form that the jaws will be open as the lever F is lowered in position to canse the jaws F2 to engage with the usual cable IIE, by which the carriers are propelled along the usual forwarding and return tracks. \Vhen the lever F is raised, the spring F, lo-

ated at the back of the carrier and around the lever F, closes the jaws F2 upon the cable H2.

G is a plate secured to the bottom of the carrier by screws G, and said plate is provided with ears G2, which are adapted to pass under the rails and hold the carriers thereon, as said ears extend beyond the rails.

G3 represents friction-rollers mounted upon the screw G and free to revolve thereon, and the object of these rollers is to prevent friction when the carrier is traveling along the track, around the corners, and into the stations.

The forwarding-track II,which is composed of the opposite rails Il', is supported by the braces lo; and I) as it passes through the station, and near the center of said track both rails are cnt away, as shown at I, to allow the ears on the plate Gr to pass under said rails, and said rails are rigidly secured by the cross-piece I'.

The carriers are sent along the forwardingtrack II from the salesman to the cashiers desk and are returned by the cashier on the usual return-track, on which is provided the usual switching arrangement-for example, as shown in the application above referred to-sothat the carriers belonging to a certain station are switched to that stations and, as illustrated in the present drawings, around the branch track A onto the track-section C, and the momentum of the carrier is checked and the carrier is stopped by reason of the arms D" and the spring D".

Usually at each station there are three or four carriers by which cash is forwarded by the salesman to the cashier, and after the change is made the carrier is returned by the cashier to the salesman and, switching onto the branch track from the return-track, comes in rear of the other carriers on the track-section C. In order to obtain the last carrier and return the change to the purchaser, the operator takes hold of the last carrier on the track-section C and slides it toward the brace I3 and rails A', and the carrier, being pulled downwardly, is slid off said track-section C, and upon the removal of the carrier the spring CG returns the rails C into alinement with rails A to receive the next earrier switched at the station. This feature of removing the last carrier at the station without disturbing the other carriers is not broadly claimed in this application, as it is shown, described, and broadly claimed in theapplication above referred to,

I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus ascertained the nature of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a conveying apparatus, a forwardingtrack, a branch return-track, a track-section normally in alinement with said branch return-track and adapted to receive the diverted carriers and having its end nearest the branch return-track adapted to be moved from its' alinement to permit the removal of the carriers therefro1n,and yielding means connected to said track-section for gradually checking the momentum of a carrier traveling along said track-section.

2. In a conveying apparatus, a forwardingtrack, a branch return-track, a track-section normally in alinement with said branch return-track and adapted to receive the diverted carriers and having its end nearest the branch return-track adapted to be moved from its alinement to permit the removal of the carriers therefrom, yielding means connected to said track-section for gradually checking the momentum of a carrier traveling along said track-section, and means for returning said track-section to alinement with said branch return-track.

In a conveying apparatus, a forwardingtrack, a branch return-track composed of two opposite rails, a track-section composed of two opposite rails normally in alinement with the opposite rails of the branch returntrack and adapted to receive the diverted carriers and having its end nearest the branch return-track adapted to be moved from said. alinement to permit the removal of the carriers therefrom, and a spring connected to said opposite rails of said track-section and adapted to yield and gradually cheek the momentum of a carrier traveling along said track-section.

4:. In a conveying apparatus, a forwardingtrack, a branch return-track composed of two opposite rails, a track-section composed of two opposite rails normally in alinement with the opposite rails of the branch returntrack and adapted to receive the diverted carriers and having its end nearest the branch IOO IIO

return-traek adapted to be moved from said In testimony whereof I have signed my 1o alinement to permit the removal of the carname to this speeiiieation, in the presence of riers therefrom, a spring connected to said tWo subscribing Witnesses, this 8th day of fopposite rails of said track-section and adapt# February, 1898.A

ed to yield and nfradually cheek the momentum of a carriera-traveling along said traok- JAMES T' COWLEY section, and means for returning said traek- Witnesses: section to alinement With said branch return- A.- L.- MESSER,

track. C. A. STEWART. 

